Wherever You Go

Wherever You Go

Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go. —Genesis 28:15

I remember learning this verse when I was very very young in Vacation Bible School in a little song. Happy and carefree as we sang it, it gives me that feeling to read it again now... "I will be with you, wherever you go, wherever you go says my Lord!" Why do we worry about the future, when we know that He'll be there. It's amazing, because this is just what I needed to read this morning. Thank you, Father. Excited about following You and putting my life in Your hands, but a little nervous about the uncertainty of it all, not being able to plan everything out or make a home near my home. But, we'll follow Your will for our lives, and You'll keep us wherever we go.


Even When We Cause Him Pain

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."

15 But the LORD said to him, "Not so [e] ; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, [f] east of Eden. -Genesis 4:9-16

This summer I gave a message on "my brother's keeper," but this morning I'm struck by God's reaction to Cain. The Lord is in pain... the child he loves has been killed, and his blood "cries out to [Him] from the ground." But, despite Cain's sin, God is merciful. He promises to be with Cain wherever he wanders, as a mark that He will put on Him. I'm curious what it means that Cain went out from the Lord's presence.

Also, it's remarkable that Cain recognizes that this is more than he can bear! I wish we all realized how awful a fate it is to be hidden from the Lord's presence. Perhaps then we would seek him more.

5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

9 This is the account of Noah.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. -Genesis 6:5-9

And in Noah's time again, man caused the Lord pain. In fact, He was "grieved that He had made man on earth, and his heart was filled with pain." God could've just stopped it all right then and there. But again, He saw Noah who was blameless and righteous, and He chose to have mercy on Him. He watched over Noah and his family they were, in spite of the flood that He was sending, God made sure that it wouldn't destroy this God-fearing family.


And He Guides Us

13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." -Matthew 2:13-15

19After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."
21So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene." -Matthew 2:19-23

And while God will always be there for us wherever we go, Matthew 2 reminds me that we are responsible for staying close to God. I'm amazed at the faith of this young family that just follows so obediently. There's no hesitation. It doesn't say... "after talking it over," "after considering the options awhile," "after a break or a vacation." They know that God has been faithful in their lives and trust that He will continue to be faithful. It somewhat puts me to shame, because God has been soo faithful in my life... yet I often hesitate to do what I feel He's calling me to. But not this year.

Lord, I pray that You would speak to me. Tell me where to go and I will go. Ask me to get up and I will. Tell me what to do, and I will obey You faithfully. I trust in You... help me to hear Your call for my life once again, Lord. What I want is for You to use my life. Take my life, Lord, because I trust You and know that even though it might make me nervous You will be with me wherever I go. And through You, I can do all things.